Situated near the financial district, the IES Abroad Quito & Galápagos Islands Center is housed in a new, modern building walking distance from La Parque Carolina, Quito’s largest historic park. Our Center is your connection point for all things IES Abroad. Take your IES Abroad courses in the Center’s classrooms Meet with staff in their offices Study in the library Meet up with friends in the student lounge Other features include: WiFi, printing facilities, and a computer lab Center Staff Ximena Paredes • Student Affairs Coordinator in Quito Lupe Escobar • Administrative & Activity Coordinator...

Your specific housing assignment will be sent to you via email from admissions@IESabroad.org approximately three weeks before the program start date, provided you have submitted all forms listed below. Make sure that emails from this address will not end up in your spam filter by adding it to your trusted sender list. NOTE: We must receive all forms listed below before we can finalize housing arrangements on your behalf and release your housing assignment to you. Review the housing options below to determine your preferences and contact your IES Abroad Program Advisor with any questions...

Your specific housing assignment will be sent to you via email from admissions@IESabroad.org approximately three weeks before the program start date, provided you have submitted all forms listed below. Make sure that emails from this address will not end up in your spam filter by adding it to your trusted sender list. NOTE: We must receive all forms listed below before we can finalize housing arrangements on your behalf and release your housing assignment to you. Review the housing options below to determine your preferences and contact your IES Abroad Program Advisor with any questions...

Purchase a ticket to arrive at the Mariscal Sucre International Airport (airport code UIO) in Quito on the official arrival date between 8pm and 12am (midnight). Most flights from the US arrive to Quito at night, often as late as 11pm or midnight. IES Abroad Quito staff are accustomed to this and prepare accordingly, so do not worry about arriving at this hour. If you do not book a direct flight, we recommend that you leave at least 2-3 hours to make your connections in case your first flight is delayed. Someone will be at the airport to pick you up on the official arrival date. If you arrive...

As soon as a preliminary program calendar is available, it will appear below. However, this calendar is subject to change. Please do not make independent travel arrangements (including visits from family or friends) before you arrive on-site, receive any calendar updates from the IES Abroad Center staff during orientation, and finalize your course registration. Remember that you will not be excused from academic obligations, including final exams or required IES Abroad events, in order to travel independently. You can easily make personal travel plans once on-site!

You will participate in a mandatory orientation which begins at the Center and is followed by several days at our partner universities. A complete schedule is distributed upon arrival. On the first day of orientation, you will receive a packet with the following documents: IES Abroad Quito student manual Emergency plan Orientation schedule Semester academic calendar Pledge to speak only Spanish Field trip sign-up form List of important course registration dates Student ID card Staff contact information Emergency phone numbers Key card for entry into the Center Map of Quito Tourist brochures of...

Housing is offered in private homes in Quito for ASL students and in the Cumbayá Valley near Quito for USFQ Direct Enrollment students. All homestays are located by the IES Abroad staff, in safe areas of the area, and inspected on a regular basis. You will have your own furnished room, and you will be the only IES Abroad student in the home. No two homestay situations are the same! Just as “family” could mean many different things in your home country, Ecuadorian families also are quite diverse. Some families are composed of a set of parents and their children. Other families consist of an...

You are required to enroll in 15-19 credits per semester. Your program offers four ways to earn academic credit: IES Abroad Spanish language course (required, 4 credits) IES Abroad Spanish-taught area studies courses (at least one course is required, 3 credits each) Area studies courses at USFQ (optional, credits vary) Community-based learning seminar and placement (optional, 4 credits) Classes are scheduled five days each week and attendance is required. You must come to class prepared, complete written assignments outside of classes, and complete rigorous assignments at the midterm and end...

You will be required to submit the Course Preregistration Form when it becomes available in your MyIESAbroad account. Preregistration is done on a first-come, first-served basis. Please obtain course approval from your current college or university for all courses you intend to take before your departure, especially if you intend to fulfill specific degree requirements with those courses. When you arrive in Quito, you will consult with the IES Abroad Center Director who will help you finalize your IES Abroad and select courses at partner universities that are appropriate, available, and whose...

To complement your IES Abroad courses, you will have the option of enrolling in courses at our partner universities. We strongly encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity. It will not only be a unique educational experience, but it will also provide the opportunity to add another perspective of student life in Ecuador. You can also improve your Spanish language abilities and meet local students! The classroom atmosphere might be entirely different from what you experience on your home campus. Please keep in mind that you will have to be able to adapt to different classroom structures...